Well, as you know,Yancy was executed last week as scheduled. According to the media his final words were "Bring it on!", which, if you knew Yancy, you'd recognize was typical of him. Anyway, I was bummed out for the last week or so but I've pretty much returned to normal, to the extent you're ever in a "normal" state while on death row...
We finally came off of our quarterly lockdown yesterday, after 16 days cooped up in our cells, and I got out to the rec yard today. It was a glorious day, with a robin's-egg blue sky, a few fluffy clouds and the air pure and crisp. Considering it's mid-November the sun was beaming unseasonably; I estimate it was about 75 degrees. The birds were waiting for me, clearly upset at having to go two plus weeks without their regular handouts of bread and hotdogs. The sparrows were chirping like crazy, flitting through the cages, while the crows scolded me loudly as if I'd been intentionally neglecting them. I won't be able to feed the sparrows as much as I used to due to our new lunch menu. In the past we received a "bag lunch" each day, consisting of four pieces of bread, along with either lunch meat, or slices of cheese, or peanut butter, or occasionally tuna fish. From that, we'd make our own sandwiches (two sandwiches per bag). That gave me four pieces of bread each lunch for the birds (on those days I don't eat lunch myself). Now, however, we get 2 naked pieces of bread, and an already made peanut butter sandwich (with very little peanut butter on it, to boot). So, for now on, every day it's a stale peanut butter sandwich; that gets real old, real quick! I guess I can throw out pieces of the peanut butter sandwich instead of naked bread and the sparrows can eat around the peanut butter. (I guess that's sadly indicative of the lowly state of my existence when one of the more pressing issues in my daily life is whether I can hustle up enough bread to feed the birds! On the other hand, some stressed-out people might covet such a leisurely and simple life, other than that part about being executed).
Alright Sis, that's enough blathering on! Everything else here is good for now; I'm in excellent health and fair spirits, which is better than a lot of folks can honestly claim, and for that I'm sincerely thankful.
Love & Peace,
Bill
2 comments:
Bill...
This is Tom from Criswell...Just wanted to drop you a note...a link...and a ton of prayers. It's been many, many years since you and I have spoken, or have even though about each other...But, a mutual pal and I have been in contact via emails and such, and have spoken about you and some of the other guys who were at "The Brown Cottage", as Ron Kagamaster used to call our recreation shack out back.
Guy sent me several photos from '69-'70...and my eyes welled up...we were so young. I had already been to Viet Nam and back...(it was better than going back to Marianna !! AKA..."affectionately"...The Arthur G. Dozier School For Boys)and was about as nuts as a 16 year old can be. I went in the spring of '68, with the US Merchant Marine, and stayed there until Nov. '68. Hind sight being 20-20 and all, and getting out of there in one piece...every day is gravy, man...I had the good fortune of getting stranded in Tallahassee, on my way back to San Francisco in Jan '69...where Guy rescued me and gave me shelter...for about 2 years!
Segue to now(ish)...after completely failing at alcoholism and massive drug abuse, I blew through 3 marriages, (I have 5 terrific sons)...and am only now starting to see what a sense of humor God has...:) I don't believe there is a Hell, Bill...except, perhaps, for the state of affairs we sometimes find ourselves in on Earth. I do know that this is not all there is. I have dodged so many 'slings and arrows'in my 54 years, I feel confident that God just isn't done w/ me yet...or you, pal. The relationships that you have expressed about yourself, your surroundings, and your Spirit, tell me that you are a man with deep and immoveable honor, joy and conviction. The story about the sparrows and the bag lunch is as relevant to the broader scheme of who we are ...than any doctrine can profess. In the final analysis...Love conquers...everything.
Hitler, my old man, Saddam, Pol Pot...were all children once, and in need of love...as are we all.
I'm writing and performing music...and tell about the things I know about. One of my favorite artists is a guy named Steve Earle. He's a walking novel in his own right...a staunch and vocal anti-D/P advocate, and a bone in a bunch of folks' throats.
So, just know that we're out here , too, Bill...voicing our disdain for current policies, for a subjective and ludicrous judiciary...and for change.
Peace,
Tom
Can someone post an email contact for this guy, Tom? Apparently he knew my uncle, Ron Kagamaster. I'd like some info. email: leoncrys@hotmail.com
Thanks,
CSK
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